Sea Otter Classic
Post-riding the cross country course
Less than a week after the heats of bikers and throngs of spectators
had crowded into Laguna Seca for the Sea Otter Classic, a mass celebration of biking of all forms,
one would hardly guess such an adrenalin-packed event would happen in the bucolic and relaxed character of the
Central Coast.
Fort Ord
was once a military base, starting as a cavalry post in 1917, expanding to one of the largest
basic training centers on the West Coast around WWII, then disbanded with the peace dividends in 1993.
It is now run by the Bureau of Land Management,
and bikers are allowed, as far as I can tell, on all trails singletrack or otherwise.
It seemed like a long trip down from San Francisco, and the Morgan Hill bottleneck is always aggravating,
but any ride to Monterey was well worth it on this fine Easter Sunday.
Photos
Click to expand
Purple flowers seemed to dominate the meadows. This is just beyond Jack's Road heading westward, near the intersection
of the Redrock Ridge trail.
I guess this is where the Redrock Ridge trail gets it's name. The trail goes through the scrub to the right.
The second shot is about halfway down.
Don't worry, this is what the whole trail is like! Go for it!! Hehe.
At the bottom of Red Rock, you'll start riding past the farmlands and old firing ranges in Pilarcitos Canyon.
It's a mostly flat route, until you get to "The Grind," up to the ridge overlooking Laguna Seca. Sorry about the
lavender sky in the first picture. The second shot
is looking back down Pilarcitos Canyon from the top.
Here is (rather wide) singletrack #47 heading east from Laguna Seca.
No way to keep my shadow out of it, unfortunately, but you can
begin to see some of the trail damage that was pretty painful on a hardtail.
I think this is "Hurl Hill" where 47 reconnects to Skyline Ridge. Neither of us hurled,
thanks to the good traction here.
The sun was starting to set as we continued our ride down Skyline, and the memory card was full,
so I didn't get any good shots after this.
It's too bad because I thought the Goat Trail ahead was the prettiest, most colorful part of the ride.
Check it out if you haven't already.
(b. March 31, 2002)
Back to top.
Back home.
I guess this is where the Redrock Ridge trail gets it's name. The trail goes through the scrub to the right.
The second shot is about halfway down.
Don't worry, this is what the whole trail is like! Go for it!! Hehe.
At the bottom of Red Rock, you'll start riding past the farmlands and old firing ranges in Pilarcitos Canyon.
It's a mostly flat route, until you get to "The Grind," up to the ridge overlooking Laguna Seca. Sorry about the
lavender sky in the first picture. The second shot
is looking back down Pilarcitos Canyon from the top.
Here is (rather wide) singletrack #47 heading east from Laguna Seca.
No way to keep my shadow out of it, unfortunately, but you can
begin to see some of the trail damage that was pretty painful on a hardtail.
I think this is "Hurl Hill" where 47 reconnects to Skyline Ridge. Neither of us hurled,
thanks to the good traction here.